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I just got the YUS5 today. This is a great piano, it only cost around $12,000 not including tax. Its a 52" class upright. Compared to other, more "popular" brand names, I saved from $10,000 to $20,000. In my opinion this is the best value for the dollar when it comes to 52" uprights (the largest kind).

According to the Yamaha dealership, the YUS5 replaces the U5 (which is no longer being made). The differences so far are:

Perspective view, fallboard down. The music stand is tilted forward, allowing sound to escape from the sides of the stand. The bench is padded, and comes with the piano.[/b]

Front view, fallboard up.[/b]

Closeup of the hidden, soft-fall mechanism showing an open and closed fallboard. The soft-fall feature allows the fallboard to gently come to a close. It is not possible to slam the fallboard shut. This mechanism is very well hidden, unlike earlier models (the U3 for example).[/b]

Pedal detail. Third (center) pedal is sostenuto. An explanation of Sostenuto is found here ( http://www.jeffreychappell.com/pedaling.htm ). First and second pedals are damper and soft respectively. The soft pedal accomplishes its effect by moving all the hammers closer to the strings. This is different from the typical implementation of the soft pedal that shifts the hammers to the right in order to strike fewer strings ("una corda").[/b]

A lever under the left side of the keyboard activates the celeste rail, or "practice" feature. When activated, a long piece of felt comes down between the hammer and strings, reducing the volume of every note significantly.[/b]

Detail of casters. The YUS5 has a full four casters, with each caster being of the brass double wheel variety. No part of the case touches the ground save the casters.[/b]

Back view of the detached music desk. The circles are cloth covered holes in the wood that allow the sound to come out of the case through the music desk, and out to the sides of the tilting music stand. Angling the music stand allows air and therefore sound to pass through to the pianist and noticably improves the sound quality.[/b]

Detail of bench.[/b]

Front view of action, without music desk (note, serial number removed).[/b]

Perspective view of action, with music desk removed. The celeste rail is visible (between the hammer and strings).[/b]

The next step is to raise the thing by a couple of inches and get a taller bench. I have decided I am going to replace the casters with bigger ones that have a brake. Pedals will go to the machine shop to get extended so they will be at the same height after the piano is raised. I am looking forward to this!

I'm working on trying to get a video uploaded to mediafire.com. Anyone know a good site for uploading videos (its 45MB)?

Originally posted by apple*: you sound absolutely delighted (and you should be)

enjoy it [/b]

Thanks everyone. Yes I am delighted with the piano but the crowning victory will be after I have completed the project to replace the casters with bigger industrial wheels, to raise the piano a few inches. Then, its off to the machine shop to modify the pedals so they will reach the ground again.

Finally, a new petite artist bench with real leather and the fattest most comfortable cushion I can possibly get.

This monday, February 12 I have a consultation with a RPT to flesh out how we will proceed with this project.

My dream of sitting correctly at the piano is inching closer to becoming real!!!

Cool! I ordered a YUS5 Silent. I tried a U1 Silent, but I noticed a non-uniform noise of the keys going up (4-5 keys make more noise than the other), so I decided to take a YUS5 that should be built better. The mechanical response of the U1 Silent seemed too light, unsuited to those who need to study. In one room I have a baby gran Kaway but I can not play freely because of the neighbors. I live in an apartment in the center of Rome (Italy). I am a doctor and the music is my second love (if it continues will become the first). I am studying to get into the conservatory and I have more than 40 aa !!!How do you feel with this piano?Can you do the trills (there's a good return of keys?)Tell me all your impressions and any faults that you observed

I am only a moderate piano player. My main instrument has been guitar for over 30 years.

I will say this....the Yamaha YUS5 has a darker tone than the typical older Yamaha reputation. That being said I absolutely love it. I think it is very unique. My one seems to have a little heavier action which I really prefer. I bought it from a very high end dealer in NYC area. I think you will be very pleased. Eveyone that has played loves those ports by the way.

That is a very lovely piano. When I started my search a few months ago, I wanted to try that model and Kawai's K8 but around here no one has either. They only stock the smallest, cheapest uprights. In fact, other than the Steinway dealer's one B and one D, they don't have much in bigger grands, either.

Wow! Nice piano! Your post reads like an advertizement pamphlet. Now I want one too!

I'm guessing the switch from aggraffes allows for increased down pressure?

Edited by Dave B (05/26/1203:11 PM)

_________________________
"Imagine it in all its primatic colorings, its counterpart in our souls - our souls that are great pianos whose strings, of honey and of steel, the divisions of the rainbow set twanging, loosing on the air great novels of adventure!" - William Carlos Williams

Out of curiosity, a piano that is born Silent can be converted to pure acoustic by eliminating the bar (or avoid the action of it) and drawing closer the hammers to the strings?hammers closer to the strings is a complex operation? How long does it take? It can be done by a layman?

In this way I could play with the maximum possible response on the part of the instrument

i'm an interior designer and the first sconce is my alltime favorite from Ralph Lauren lighting. i believe they give 20% standard off of their retail list price.

1st lighting, this would be an easy hang and plug-in if you have an outlet behind the piano. you can always get a handy-man to hardwire it into your wall...but i like the (old-school) encased wiring too, gives it some character. you can always walk them into a lighting store and have them change the "on-off" bulb socket to a 3-way, this way when you're not playing at night you can keep it on a low wattage for a nice lighting design effect.

the following sconce would like nice as well and would compliment your piano since it resembles a piano lamp in a way. however you might have to get the arms extended. it's an easy under-$100 fix at any lighting store.

given the aesthetics of your beach condo/home i would definitely go with a designer lighting. it will bump your piano's look a notch and make your home look that much better. i'd hate to see a traditional piano lamp for $69 over your piano when you have designer furnishings in your home.

btw, i recently purchased a piano. my room/space was a challenge for a grand and of all the uprights the yus5 was my first choice (well, after the steinway upright grand). however, there was no way in *ell i was going to spend $30k on an upright. just make sure your piano was voiced and regulated properly, it costs $$ but every penny is totally worth the voicing. it's like night and day. and if/when you do get it serviced, ...from my personal experience, let's just say in this case (piano service/technicians) you get what you pay for.

hang a large vertical abstract frameless-style painting above the YUS5 with an art light on top of the art. and get a portable clip-on battery-and-cord operated orchestra light for playing piano: http://www.mightybright.com/Music-Lights